Ophélie Princé and Maxime Moyson both hail from France. They recently founded Candelae, an online store specializing in scented candles.
"We realized that we were completely cut off from all our relationships overnight," Ophélie explains.
Maxime also lost his job at the beginning of the pandemic, before finding another one.
"It put a lot of things into question. And then, as the months went by, we realized that the pandemic was here to stay," adds the young woman.
When friends of theirs had their first child in Montreal, the couple wanted to let them know they were thinking of them. Then, they thought it would be a good idea to do the same for their colleagues and friends. Saying "I'm thinking of you," a meaningful gesture in this time of pandemic, is important, Ophélie believes.
"The concept is really about being able to bring something very important to the relationships we can't have in person. Saying thank you, saying I love you, saying I'm thinking of you," says Ophélie Princé, co-founder of Candelae.
The couple works with two candle suppliers from Ontario to promote local and eco-responsible production. The little notes that accompany the candles are handwritten.
This requires a significant personal investment alongside their respective jobs. The two collections they have released also have a close connection with the pandemic: "Remember that time" to recall the good times spent together, and "Recharge" to live in the present moment and enjoy it.
"The idea is really about celebrating personal and professional relationships and making sure that distance is no longer a hindrance, but an opportunity. We can always be together, even if there is a distance," says Maxime Moyson, co-founder of Candelae.
